The Atlanta Falcons (0-2) were able to laugh off their first loss of the season since the entire NFC South went winless in Week 1, but Sunday's 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers (1-1) pushed them to the basement of the NFL's weakest division.
There wasn't much to say after the Falcons' Week 2 disaster at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. You can blame Cooper Rush all you want, but he's a third-string quarterback who received limited first-team reps throughout camp and the preseason.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) didn't fare much better in Week 2, losing to the lowly Cleveland Browns. Baker Mayfield got outplayed by Deshaun Watson in a 23-19 upset. Luckily, the Bucs didn't lose to an NFC South opponent like the Falcons.
And last but certainly not least (this
season), the New Orleans Saints (1-1) stunned the Baltimore Ravens in a 24-17 upset. The Saints nearly shocked the Detroit Lions on the road one week earlier, and at some point, we might just have to admit that they're a good football team.
Check out the updated NFC South standings after Week 2 below.
NFC South standings entering Week 3
- Carolina Panthers (1-1)
- New Orleans Saints (1-1)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)
- Atlanta Falcons (0-2)
With a Thursday night matchup upcoming, Atlanta has little time to stop the bleeding before another season slips away. The Falcons will face the Green Bay Packers on the road in Week 3, and we may see Michael Penix Jr. make his 2026 debut.
An 0-3 start would be tough for the Falcons to come back from. However, nothing is impossible in the NFC South.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFC South: Panthers send Falcons to bottom of division standings
